Fight Archives: Igor Vovchanchyn’s cold-blooded knockout of Francisco Bueno
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One of MMA’s most brutal knockouts happened in the sport’s earlier years.
Who doesn’t love a good, clean knockout? Well, unless you’re not a fan of any form of violence, you’ll likely find sheer satisfaction in seeing an individual get their systems shut off by a single strike.
And if you’ve been watching this sport for a long time now, you were likely in awe when you witnessed Igor Vovchanchyn knock out Francisco Bueno at PRIDE 8 in ‘99.
This was actually a wicked mismatch if you look at it on paper. Bueno was an experienced grappler and competed in the ADCC, but he entered the contest with merely two pro fights under his belt. He also gave up 13 pounds in weight.
The Shady Legacy of Mikhail Ilyukhin
As some may guess based on my name, I was born in Russia, a country
with an incredibly rich, successful MMA tradition. It includes
legends regarded among the greatest ever, Fedor
Emelianenko and Khabib
Nurmagomedov, several other outstanding young champions who
have that potential, such as Petr Yan and
Vadim
Nemkov, and three highly successful domestic promotions in
M-1 Global, Absolute Championship Akhmat and Fight Nights Global.
And who was the first Russian MMA star that preceded all of this?
There were actually two: Oleg Taktarov
debuted in the UFC in April of 1995 and won UFC 6 in mid-July,
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Contrary to so many high-profile cases related to fouls in MMA, where truth and/or justice reside in a nebulous grey area, this instance is surprisingly cut and dry. Illegal and idiotic or not, Yan’s ill-fated knee is just the latest reminder of what makes the Unified Rules’ treatment of knees to a downed opponent so fatuous and aggravating.
In the immediate aftermath, much was made of Yan’s corner yelling at him. While “Punches!” was clear in English, there was debate over whether his Russian seconds urged him to “strike” or specifically, “knee”. After the bout, however, Yan effectively made this a non-issue, stating he was focused on Sterling’s hands and thought his challenger was crouching. He screwed up, he knew he did and was appropriately sportsmanlike and contrite. It’s as much as you could ask for out of a fighter screwing up so royally in such a lofty position.
UFC pioneer Paul Varelans passes away after battle with COVID-19
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Paul Varelans, a UFC pioneer nicknamed “the Polar Bear,” has passed away.
It was after a month long battle with COVID-19, with the former UFC heavyweight discussing his symptoms and revealing that he has tested positive last December. Varelans was eventually put in a medically induced coma and hooked up to a ventilator.
According to MMA author Jonathan Snowden, Varelans was still “breathing 70% on his own” a couple of weeks ago, but “eventually it overwhelmed him.”
On Saturday, the UFC fan favorite passed away at age 51.
RIP Paul Varelans. You left us far too soon. People talk about Pioneers of MMA all the time bringing up names that came into the game years after it began. You were truly one of the pioneers of the sport starting all the way back at UFC 6. Rest in Power my friend! Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) January 17, 2021
“Paul Varelans… (The Polar Bear)… has been diagnosed with COVID-19,” Davie shared on Facebook. “He’s on a ventilator and struggling. I urge everyone in the MMA world, to say a quick prayer for Paul. God speed…!!!”
The Sunnyvale, California native’s 18-fight career spanned from 1995 to 1998. Vareleans made his UFC debut at UFC 6 when he scored a 62-second knockout via an elbow to Cal Worsham. Thus advancing him onward through the tournament to take on David “Tank” Abbott.
Following UFC 6’s conclusion, “The Polar Bear” would compete at four more UFC events. Throughout his 18 fights, Vareleans only fought to a decision on two occasions. Among his most notable opponents were the likes of Dan Severn, Kimo Leopoldo, Mark Kerr, Igor Vovchanchyn, and the aforementioned Abbott.